Ogre Lord's Reckoning and Mana Core Mishaps
Somewhere far from Little Flame Dragon Lea's nest. The vast central continent plains, located below the north where the Demon King's remnants had set up camp. This was where most top rankers were running their raids.
The first raid boss monster to appear, the Fallen Ogre Lord. It was so ridiculously powerful that you had to wonder if it was even meant to be defeated, and countless players had died trying. But players were immortals. No matter how many times they fell, they kept respawning thanks to their blessing. They grew stronger by slaying the beasts, and now they had wiped out its entire legion, leaving only the final raid phase.
One more swing to behead the Ogre Lord, and a major main storyline questline would unlock. Husk, the rank 7 player leading one of the five raiding parties, sat cross-legged with his eyes closed in quiet meditation.
A sharp-eyed hero wielding dual swords, the vice raid leader, approached from behind him.
"The end of the raid's in sight, Raid Leader."
"What about the others?"
"Munchkin and Cheon-sang already got their altar keys. Suinjoa's still working on it. Oh, and Hajin just finished."
"Hajin... he's streaming again this time?"
"Yeah, he said he is."
"Tch. If he streams the strategy, all the latecomers will watch and copy us."
"Can't be helped. We can't take down the ogres without him."
This Ogre raid was so brutally difficult that all five parties had to pool their strength for even a shot at success. If anyone slacked or messed up, failure was almost guaranteed. Hajin's group, vying for ranks 2 and 3 in both ranking and firepower, was absolutely essential.
The vice leader shrugged it off casually. "It's not like he's the only one streaming. We've got one in our party too. That... whatshisname."
"Reven?"
"Yeah, Reven."
A streamer who'd joined Husk's party after getting kicked from Hajin's. He screwed up sometimes, but his gear and level were solid, so Husk hadn't turned him away.
"His skills suck, but his specs are decent enough. Plus, his party's small, so he doesn't bring a crowd."
"Reven would flip if he heard that."
"It's the truth."
If it bothered him, go join another party. Good luck finding one after getting booted twice.
Husk chuckled softly behind his skull mask that covered half his face.
"Fair enough. Anyway, focus over here. You're embarrassing me."
"Sorry."
Hajin gave an awkward grin at the vice leader's words and refocused on his training. Even mid-conversation, his eyes stayed shut, legs crossed.
Deorn Style Mana Circulation Method.
A mana circulation technique he'd luckily stumbled upon through some fateful encounter—from a fairly famous high-level mercenary named Deorn. After six hours a day, a full month without rest, he'd finally mastered it. Using it permanently boosted max mana and regeneration speed.
Hajin ran it whenever he had time, steadily building his mana. He hadn't gathered enough for a core yet... but three months of investment should do it.
Deorn said this technique is top-tier. Not quite noble house level, but more than enough on its own.
Other rankers had their own methods too, but Husk's held up against any of them. Hajin had gotten his from a retired knight. Only Cheon-sang Guild, with their noble connections and half-baked technique, stood out—otherwise, Husk had the best.
Among players, I'm the top.
"Heard those dragon players are learning some mana circulation method. Got time—wanna check it out?"
"You know Reven went and got his ass kicked? From what I've seen of her personality, she'll probably teach some trash-tier stuff anyway."
"Yeah... true."
Dragons were arrogant and greedy; no way they'd share anything valuable. Word was she'd brutally murdered players trying to raid her treasure vault. So yeah, high chance it was garbage. Even if it was good...
Deorn Style is strong enough.
"The killing blow on the ogre's mine."
＊
"Maybe it just doesn't suit me?"
"Not at all. For a hero, this is the best."
I bonked Haring on the head with my stick for spouting nonsense. She clutched her skull and rolled on the ground, huffing and puffing—hilarious.
The other heroes ignored her racket and kept focusing. I smiled contentedly, perched on my rock, swinging my legs back and forth.
"This mana circulation method is perfect for you 'heroes.' Master it right, and you'll punch way above your weight—ten times over."
"Ughhh..."
"Focus. Focus. No focus, and you all die."
"Lea gonna kill us?"
"Nah, the mana will."
Cough! I thwacked NyaNya's back as she guzzled mana like crazy again. Close call on dying there. She faceplanted forward, brushed off the dirt, and teared up.
"Lea, gentler pleeease..."
"You be gentler with the mana."
"Nyaang..."
"Heavens, grant me strength...!"
"All mana flow starts at the heart and heads to every limb's end. No core yet, but circle it around your heart as best you can."
"...Gather it all in the heart?"
"Not gather—circulate. Pump from the heart, out to everywhere."
Blindly piling it in the heart would overload and burst you. Think of the heart as a station. Mana circulates through the body, pauses briefly, then heads to its destination.
The heroes slowly drew mana toward their hearts at my words.
Not bad? Three standouts.
Yongba barely grazed it, but Kazen and NyaNya looped it fully around their hearts.
They've grasped the star's mystery already.
Took some fumbling at first, but they were getting the hang now. Bahamut Style Mana Circulation wasn't just efficient—it was easy to learn. No wonder the greatest hero used it.
Time to accelerate core development. The rest were sensing mana a bit too.
Haring, meanwhile, wailed at the sky, no progress.
"Can't feel it?"
"Huuuuhhh..."
"You'll get it. First time and all."
"Hnggh... life... my weapon..."
"No crying."
Too noisy. I roughly wiped her tears with my hand.
"...!"
Then Yugi, who'd joined mid-session, pinched his thigh and started sobbing. I watched curiously.
"Wahhh..."
"What's your deal?"
"Wahh... so saaaad..."
"Yeah, okay."
Sad, I guess.
"...Me too, wipe─"
"Wanna loop more?"
"No."
Yugi shut up.
＊
I kept watch from my rock, correcting unstable flows, reviving near-deathers. Three days of mana circulation training later.
"Puhah..."
"This... is mana?"
"Whoa."
Most heroes had grasped it. Pure mana energy circulating flawlessly through mana roads on every breath. They'd grow stronger just breathing now.
I propped my chin, watching them clench and unclench fists.
"Too slow."
"Huh? But it only took three days."
"Yeah, forums say three days is super fast..."
"With spoon-feeding, you should've been quicker."
Fast for normal knights or mercs, sure—but with premium guidance on a rare method? Three days was glacial. Half a day max.
"Now, let's make cores."
"How long for cores?"
"Week?"
Judging their states, a week for one star each, easy. For efficiency, I used fastest-progress NyaNya as demo. Others sat in a row; her solo in the middle. I stood behind.
"NyaNya."
"Nya!"
"Now we'll etch a star in your heart. Think of it as a mana storage and circulation warehouse."
"Warehouse..."
"Yup."
More cores, more mana capacity. Casting speed and power scale with count too. Normal heroes hit seven stars; Bahamut eleven.
Teaching Bahamut Style, but mass-produced heroes? No huge expectations.
Five max. Five.
Five should hero decently.
"Cycle mana to your heart like usual, then condense it off like peeling..."
I explained core—star—etching to NyaNya. Two hours in.
Cough!
Thud!
"?"
NyaNya spewed blood and collapsed. Check: She'd spun her actual heart instead of mana around it. Twisted 30 degrees off-kilter.
"What a variety."
Seen overloads, backflows, imbalances—but twisting the heart? First.
I shook my head, placed hand on her chest, and untwisted the mana shoving her heart.
Crunch...!
Heart snapped back; color returned.
"Cough! Couuugh!! Wha—what..."
"Careful."
"Y-yes, nya..."
"Don't cling too tight. Etch around the heart in a circle."
"...Got it. Won't forget."
NyaNya nodded, sweaty, and sat cross-legged again. Focus...
Cough!
Thud!
"?"
Yugi suddenly vomited blood, clutching his heart.
Looked like his heart was barely twisted...
"Lea-chan... save me..."
"Just live."